Antisocial personality is a disorder in which an individual displays a pattern of disregard for or violation of the rights of others. The lack of morals often leads to crime, legal problems, and impulsive/aggressive behavior.
It is a chronic mental condition in which a person’s way of thinking, understanding situations and dealing with others becomes dysfunctional.
Individuals with APD frequently lack empathy, become cynical and are insensitive towards others. As a result, the disorder makes it difficult for individuals to fulfill their responsibilities related to family, work or school. Antisocial personality disorder symptoms may start occurring in childhood; however, they become more obvious in a person’s 20s and 30s.
Symptoms and Signs:
(Mayoclinic.com)
- Disregard for right and wrong
- Persistent lying or deception to exploit others
- Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or for sheer personal pleasure
- Intense egocentrism, sense of superiority and exhibitionism
- Recurring difficulties with the law
- Repeatedly violating the rights of others by the use of intimidation, dishonesty and misrepresentation
- Child abuse or neglect
- Hostility, significant irritability, agitation, impulsiveness, aggression or violence
- Lack of empathy for others and lack of remorse about harming others
- Unnecessary risk-taking or dangerous behaviors
- Poor or abusive relationships
- Irresponsible work behavior
- Failure to learn from the negative consequences of behavior
A person can be diagnosed with APD when they have at least 4 of the above symptoms. APD is one of the hardest disorders to treat. Some forms of treatment include psychotherapy, cognitive behavior therapy and neuropsychological assessment.
Written By Dara Rashwan